I had hoped that MSI’s GS66 Stealth for 2021 would look and feel a little different than last year’s model — not that the 2020 version was particularly busted in any major way. In fact, the previous model was a few nips and tucks shy of reaching Razer’s high bar for gaming laptop design.
Somewhat behind the Switchblade and Omen Pro 2's glove-like design, the bay cover and side window remain one of the more traditional laptop design finds on MSI's GS 66 collection — but the body itself contains some unique cues. From the baseplate to the panel assembly, there is a fair amount of embellishment; just one example — by sliding a metal piece onto the keyboard — makes a first impression. And the top of the HDD cage has a number of small details that signal OEM preference.
The primary deviations in the bamboo-colored GS66 Stealth are the hinges, which are of the one-piece, vented variety. Note also the shelf-like front, radio intake, and back panel mounting. Unfortunately, on this model I (fortunately) chose the "squared" fitment, so the cover-like back panel sits flush with the back of the hinge panel.
CPU Socket: Socket LGA 1151
CPU/GPU Base Clock: 2.7GHz
Processor/GPU Boost Clock: 3.7GHz/4.6GHz
Memory/Storage: 8GB DDR4-2133
Interface: 1x DisplayPort
MSI GS66 Stealth Graphics Performance
The GS66 Stealth starts off with a 1600MHz base clock paired with 24 cores and 24 threads along with 8GB memory capable of static overclocking moveable up to 3.5GHz (with optional 2GB VRAM). It is the former I'm primarily attracted to, not the latter. The MSI GS66 Stealth's Clocked Core i7-8700HQ comes with a 9-core, 15-thread design. Up to four threads can be added for single-tasking. Here on paper, the brawny quad-core rise are quite impressive: Up until Kaby Lake, Intel's top desktop line still stuck with two threaded processors: Core i5350 and Core i7-8700K. Now, we're required to contend with a full five-core processor lineup and the new 8600K (sans HyperThreading).
Intel® i7-8700H Extreme Edition
Equipped with Intel® HD Graphics 620, the clocked 9-core/15-thread 1900 MHz processor provides blistering computing power, high on battery life, and unparalleled system speed. No other Intel CPU provided such sustained performance after weighing CPU & GPU. Built on the latest 10nm manufacturing process, it utilizes massive computing paths to
Somewhat behind the Switchblade and Omen Pro 2's glove-like design, the bay cover and side window remain one of the more traditional laptop design finds on MSI's GS 66 collection — but the body itself contains some unique cues. From the baseplate to the panel assembly, there is a fair amount of embellishment; just one example — by sliding a metal piece onto the keyboard — makes a first impression. And the top of the HDD cage has a number of small details that signal OEM preference.
The primary deviations in the bamboo-colored GS66 Stealth are the hinges, which are of the one-piece, vented variety. Note also the shelf-like front, radio intake, and back panel mounting. Unfortunately, on this model I (fortunately) chose the "squared" fitment, so the cover-like back panel sits flush with the back of the hinge panel.
CPU Socket: Socket LGA 1151
CPU/GPU Base Clock: 2.7GHz
Processor/GPU Boost Clock: 3.7GHz/4.6GHz
Memory/Storage: 8GB DDR4-2133
Interface: 1x DisplayPort
MSI GS66 Stealth Graphics Performance
The GS66 Stealth starts off with a 1600MHz base clock paired with 24 cores and 24 threads along with 8GB memory capable of static overclocking moveable up to 3.5GHz (with optional 2GB VRAM). It is the former I'm primarily attracted to, not the latter. The MSI GS66 Stealth's Clocked Core i7-8700HQ comes with a 9-core, 15-thread design. Up to four threads can be added for single-tasking. Here on paper, the brawny quad-core rise are quite impressive: Up until Kaby Lake, Intel's top desktop line still stuck with two threaded processors: Core i5350 and Core i7-8700K. Now, we're required to contend with a full five-core processor lineup and the new 8600K (sans HyperThreading).
Intel® i7-8700H Extreme Edition
Equipped with Intel® HD Graphics 620, the clocked 9-core/15-thread 1900 MHz processor provides blistering computing power, high on battery life, and unparalleled system speed. No other Intel CPU provided such sustained performance after weighing CPU & GPU. Built on the latest 10nm manufacturing process, it utilizes massive computing paths to
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